Your heart and ears have a lot in common. Love them both during American Heart Month.

People tend to take matters of the heart very seriously­­­­­—and they tend to brush off hearing loss as inconsequential. But the truth is, your heart and ears have a lot more in common than most people realize.

In fact, decades of research point to a link between cardiovascular and hearing health.

When you’re making your list of New Year’s resolutions and to-dos for 2017, be sure to put this one near the top: a hearing test.

That’s right. Research shows that when people address hearing loss it improves their quality of life in many ways.

And it’s no wonder. Ignoring a hearing loss and leaving it unaddressed can be exhausting, lead to isolation, and has been tied to an assortment of health conditions, including depression, diminished cognitive function, and an increased risk of falling.